Illegal migrants crossing the Channel.
 

Two UK Border Force boats to return from abroad to patrol English Channel in response to migrants crossing.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46725343

Not so much of an arduous and dangerous journey if they are picked up early and brought to the UK. Good move? Humane move? Will spur even more on to set off in little boats to get here?

And where were our Border Force boats? :confused:

Re: iIlegal migrants crossing the Channel.
 

Our Border Force boats were in the Mediterranean Sea.

Re: iIlegal migrants crossing the Channel.
 

If we start providing a ferry service to the UK from the channel midway line they'll be coming in droves, no doubt waved on by the French authorities who'll be glad to see the back of them. :rolleyes:

Re: iIlegal migrants crossing the Channel.
 

Between a rock and a hard place.

We need to discourage these people, but we can’t let them drown.

Re: iIlegal migrants crossing the Channel.
 

The French seem to be quite happy to let them drown as they don't seem to be doing much about it.


If you're going to have a border-free area such as the Schengen zone, then surely every country in that zone has to properly deal with people who shouldn't be in the zone, as otherwise they are free to move to other Schengen zone countries illegally.


Just look at the fuss the EU makes of the potential movement of goods from NI to the EU, in a post-Brexit world, that don't quite meet their product rules.

Re: iIlegal migrants crossing the Channel.
 

We certainly cannot let them drown. We do need to enforce the border and our laws though.

However we should place this in context. In terms of our immigration figures this is a very small amount of people. As Andrew Neil points out: https://twitter.com/afneil/status/1079709883862302720

If every single person who attempted the crossing made it then it would barely make a dent in the numbers. If they are 'highly educated Iranians' then they probably have both a good claim for asylum and can add something to the UK in addition to that.

Obviously we can't allow that because we don't want to set a bad precedent but lets have some perspective.

Re: iIlegal migrants crossing the Channel.
 

220 becomes 500, 500 then becomes 5,000, then 50,000 and so on and so on. To what end do we say no, turn back and go back to France and in larger part, Europe, where they have passed through, a totally safe EU Country to get here???

Re: Illegal migrants crossing the Channel.
 

The logistics of moving that many people make it quite unlikely.

As you say, it's not like they are in danger in France or the rest of the EU, hence the numbers being tiny.

The numbers are small and there's no real evidence that it's rising. It's just convenient for this Government to highlight it just now.

Re: Illegal migrants crossing the Channel.
 

It's not the government highlighting the issue - it's the media.

Re: Illegal migrants crossing the Channel.
 

Two cheeks of the same rear end.

Re: Illegal migrants crossing the Channel.
 

Is 100,000 every year, a small number?

Re: Illegal migrants crossing the Channel.
 

Are visa overstayers ordinarily found in boats in the channel?

Re: Illegal migrants crossing the Channel.
 

Damien was specifically pointing out the focus of the news, which was the Channel crossers - you are conflating issues.

And you are quoting Migration Watch, which has "form" in rabble-rousing and overstated numbers...

btw, you appear to have accidentally missed out the part of the article which contradicts your point

Re: Illegal migrants crossing the Channel.
 

"Damien" stated, "In terms of our immigration figures this is a very small amount of people.". Therefore to use an estimated total figure is valid as part of a reply to his post.

BBC News
That is just since 2015 and is just the overstayers and not the complete picture.
They act as a "pull factor" and as a support network to new illegal arrivals.

Re: iIlegal migrants crossing the Channel.
 

Wouldn't the simplest thing to do be to announce that anyone crossing in this way or in the back of lorries will never be given permanent resident status here, or is that to simplistic